Mr Kirwan said: "Graham has said he is prepared to accept the consequences of his actions and to stand trial in Britain. The next step has to be for Michael to be exonerated and returned to his family and friends in Liverpool as swiftly as possible.

"If the court feels it needs more time before clearing Michael's name, then he should at least be given bail and allowed home."

'I was nowhere near chip bar at the time of attack' >>>>

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'I was nowhere near chip bar at the time of attack'>

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MICHAEL Shields today took to the stand for the first time, and insisted he did not attack Martin Georgiev.

The Bulgarian suffered horrific injuries after being attacked outside fish and chip bar Big Ben's on May 30.

But Shields told the court: "I was nowhere near Big Ben's at the time of the attack, I was in my hotel room sleeping."

He said he had met a girl at a club and she had returned to his hotel for about 30 minutes before he walked her out.

"In the lobby I bumped into a few friends, but was in bed by 3am," he said.

"My friend's girlfriend was also in the room but was asleep.

"The next thing I knew I was being woken up by police. The girl at the hotel reception told me to put on a white t-shirt and take my passport and go with the police.

"They drove me to Big Ben's where there was a crowd gathered outside. I stayed in the car while one officer went and spoke to the group before driving me to the station.

"There I was handcuffed to the radiator the whole day, except for a short break when they took a blood sample. I wasn't told that I had been arrested and wasn't given a lawyer."

He added that he was given documents to sign that he didn't understand: "There was a translator but the only thing I understood was when she asked me if I denied being at Big Ben's. I said yes."

Shields - who was wearing a beige t-shirt on the night of the attack - was forced to wear a white t-shirt for an identity parade.

He denied having known Anthony Wilson or Bradley Thompson, both also allegedly involved in the attack.

(Proceeding)

Shields breaks down as lawyer calls for 10 years >>>>

Shields breaks down as lawyer calls for 10 years>

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MICHAEL Shields broke down and wept today as the prosecution demanded he be jailed for 10 years for the attack on a Bulgarian waiter.

In his closing statement, public prosecutor Atanas Shkodrov demanded the 18-year-old Liverpool fan be found guilty of premeditated attempted murder and immediately sentenced.

He said: "There is no doubt whatsoever that the attack was deliberate and a conscious attempt to take another person's life.

"Witnesses have confirmed that the defendant held the stone with both hands, raised it above his victim's head, aimed it and threw it down on his head with full force.

"You don't walk around with such large stones in your pocket, and so he must have taken the time to consider his actions."

Shkodrov said, however, that the defendant's age and previous clean record should be taken into consideration and therefore they were not asking for the maximum sentence of 20 years.

During this time Shields, who has protested his innocence throughout the trial which began last Thursday, broke down in tears.

Earlier, after taking the stand for the first time, Shields said he had been sleeping at his hotel at the time of the incident at Big Ben's fish and chip restaurant.

He added: "The next thing I knew I was being woken by the police. The girl at the hotel reception told me to put on a white T-shirt and take my passport and go with the police."

Prosecutors also asked for a sentence of "around 10 years" for co-defendant Anthony Wilson for possession of drugs - the maximum is 15 years.

Michael has to be freed >>>>

Michael has to be freed - ECHO comment>

ECHO picture power has exposed a gross miscarriage of justice - despite a last-minute confession by the true culprit.

A Bulgarian court is still holding the Liverpool teenager Michael Shields on a charge of attempted murder.

The court had retired to consider its verdict when a 20-year-old Anfield electrician admitted to the brutal attack which left a waiter in a coma.

Graham Sankey's conscience yielded when he saw the graphic picture and account of Michael Shields' courtroom ordeal in last Thursday's ECHO.

Sankey knew that by his admission he faced a term of up to 20 years in a foreign jail.

But the most pressing concern is to secure the release of the wronglyconvicted Michael Shields.

The priority is to get him back to Britain as soon as possible and reunited with his family and friends.

Even before today's horrendous turn of events Michael Shields' presence in Bulgarian custody should never have been used as a bargaining tool to bring Graham Sankey to justice.

Nor should this be the case now, even though a court has decided to reject Sankey's confession.

While Graham Sankey had said he was prepared to stand trial - but only in this country - that is not a choice for a self-confessed thug to make.

The immediate concern must be for Michael Shields' welfare.

He should be released NOW, if necessary with direct foreign office assistance.